transformation and redemption

• "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business" Marley S1


  • Marley's ghost, burdened by chains, is a tragic figure unable to achieve redemption. This is the first warning towards scrooge; If he doesn't change he will end up like Marley.
  • The repetition of "business" contrasts his earlier focus on material gain with the moral and social obligations he failed to fulfil.
• "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" Scrooge S1


  • Dickens condemns the Victorian reliance on workhouses, which were notorious for their inhumane conditions.
  • Scrooge's rhetorical questions show his indifference to the plight of the poor, suggesting he views them as burdens rather than individuals deserving compassion.
• "Spirit, tell me if Tiny Tim will live." S3


  • Scrooge’s growing worry for Tiny Tim shows the first signs of his transformation. He starts to understand the value of human life.
  • This contrasts with scrooge's earlier disregard for others and failure to empathise with those whose situations are far different from his; "If he be like to die, he had better do it and decrease the surplus population"
• "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy." S5


  • symbolizes his freedom from the burden of greed and loneliness
  • Comparing himself to an angel suggests his moral redemption, while being “merry as a schoolboy” highlights his youthful excitement.
  • He has learnt his lesson